Machine for pointing pickets



GJN. THOMAS. Machine for Pointing Pickets.

No. 233,896. fij -t ented Nqv. 2, 1880.,

0. d/ggnzcts c772 fen J i I I NPETERS. PNOTO-LITMOGRAPHER. WASHINGTON. D10.

' UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE NAHUM THOMAS, OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT.

.MACHINE FOR POlNTlNG PICKETS.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 233,896, dated November 2, 1880.

Application filed August 15, 1879.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, GEORGE N. THOMAS, of New Haven, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented a new Improvement in Machines for Pointing Pickets; and I do hereby declare the following, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and the letters of reference marked thereon, to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, and which said drawings constitute part of this specitiation, and repre sent, in-

Figure 1, front view; Fig. 2, side view; Fig. 3, modification.

This invention relates to an improvement in device for pointing pickets, such as used for fences and for like purposes.

In the usual construction of such device the picket is rigidly held in a stationary device, and the cutter is attached to a lever, so that by turning the lever the cutter advances and cuts away the end of the picket to form the required shape point. This construction necessitates a long lever, and is also difficult of adjustment to adapt the device for different widths of picket.

The object of this invention is to overcome these difliculties; and it consists in the construction as hereinafter described, and particularly recited in the claims.

A is the upright or frame, rigidly secured to a post or wall by means of arms B.

C is the cutter-holder, attached to the frame, and a, the cutter, rigidly held in said cutterholder, but arranged so as to be adjustable as occasion may require, in like manner as cut ters are made adjustable in similar machines.

D is the holder, which is of sufficient length to form a suitable bearing for the picket, and provided with an abutment, E, at one end, against which the picket abuts when in place, as seen in Fig. 1. The holder extends downward, and is provided with a slide, F, arranged to move between vertical guides G, and in connection with a vertical screw, H, provided with a head,I, or other device for turning it, so that by turning the screw the slide F will be moved up toward the picket-rest, or away from it, as the case may be. The slide F is hung upon the frame A by a pivot, (I, and so as to rock thereon, as indicated in broken lines.

The adjustment by means of the screw H sets the holder D at the requisite distance from the cutter a, to adapt it to the cutting of pickets of difierent widths. Thus constructed the picket is placed upon the holder, as seen in Fig. l, and its end extending from the holder serves as a lever by which to turn the holder, and in turning the holder the upper edge of the picket is brought into contact with the cutter, and following the curve from which the holder moves,the pivot d being the center, cuts from the end of the picket a portion, giving it a corresponding curve, as indicated in broken lines, Fig. l, the cutter striking the abutment E at the center of the width of the picket. The picket is then reversed and the opposite edge out in the same way. Thus the usual lever for operating the cutter is avoided, because the picket itself serves that purpose.

To adjust for different curvatures of the picket, the pivot d is attached to the frame through a vertical slot, L, so that the pivot may be raised or lowered to carry the center or pivot-point correspondingly nearer to or farther from the cutter, correspondingly shortening orincreasing the radius.

In some cases it is desirable to cut the point in reverse curve. For this purpose a holder is provided, as seen in Fig. 3, upon the same pivot d, but extending above the cutter, so that the cutter will apply to the under edge of the picket or the edge nearest the pivot, cut-tin g a reverse curve, as indicated in broken lines. The same adj usting-screw H is provided for-adjusting the machine to the width of the picket, the frame remaining the same.

I claim 1. The combination of the stationary frame A, the stationary cutter a thereon, with the holder D, pivoted to the frame, substantially as specified.

2. The combination of the stationary frame A, the stationary cutter a thereon, with the holder D, adjustable slide F in said holder, and a pivot between said slide and frame, substantially as described.

GEORGE NAHUM THOMAS.

Witnesses HENRY A. HARRISON, HENRY SMITH. 

